8 Bonkers Hoaxes That Actually Fooled People

2. Instant Colour TV

On April 1, 1962, a Swedish television channel aired a broadcast the purported to describe the process that would immediately convert a black and white television to colour.

After a lengthy explanation of the prismatic nature of light and the phenomenon of double slit interference that was purposefully dense and confusing, "technical expert," Kjell Stensson demonstrated how taping a Nylon stocking over the screen and moving the head from side to side would magically turn it to colour. Obviously, those watching the broadcast couldn't tell if it had worked for him, because their televisions were in black and white.

Thousands of Swedes were reportedly taken in by the hoax, and some today even remember their parent's attempting it. There was even supposedly a rush on stocks for nylon tights by "industry insiders" who thought that sales were about to go through the roof.